Remarks

Saudi Arabia’s Troubled Revolution

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s would-be reformer, is snared in warfare and caught up in diplomatic outrage.

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By Stephanie Flanders

October 12, 2018 at 12:01 AM EDT

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the October 15, 2018 issue of businessweek.

When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rose to power in Saudi Arabia in March 2015, he was eager to establish a global image as a radical reformer. “Are you leading a Thatcher Revolution for Saudi Arabia,” he was asked in early 2016. His answer: “Most certainly.”

Almost three years on, in a lengthy late-night interview on Oct. 3 with Bloomberg, the heir to the Saudi throne—known as MBS—insists he still wants to transform his country. But it’s increasingly clear it will be change on his terms. If there’s a model the Saudi leader is following, it’s not Thatcher or even Mikhail Gorbachev. It’s more a combination of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.